frownsarefun
Junior Member
I want to start a music booking agency. The nature of this business is similar to a web based consulting business, where I am providing a service but it is via phone/fax/email/web, I am based out of one location (my home) and my clients can be based anywhere in the world.
I live in NJ at the moment, but am planning on moving overseas in the next year and want to get going on this business now, so I know I have the Sole Proprietor/DBA and the LLC as my best options, since I will have no employees. But I am confused over business names because the one thing I don`t want to deal with is someone else having the same name as me.
So once I have a name, is there a sure fire way to register it so I am protected and don`t have to change it down the road?
I know you can submit an application to your home state and also federal government for trade mark or service mark registration, but I don`t think that necessarily means the same name is available when you register for your business.
I need an easy explanation of what the best thing to do is.
If I do a DBA in Ocean County, NJ as WHITE NOISE INUDSTRIES (music consulting business), does this mean that someone can file a DBA in Middlesex County, NJ with the exact same name? Would it have to be a different industry or can that be sam, too? Can someone form an LLC in NJ or another State with the same exact business name (either a DBA and/or an LLC)?
Would having the Federal Service Mark registered prevent this or no? I thought I read that you don`t even have to file the trade mark/service mark in order to claim ownership of it, which just confused me even more.
I need help desperately because I just want to find a name, check its availability but not have to close business bank accounts/credit cards, websites, etc 6 months later.
I live in NJ at the moment, but am planning on moving overseas in the next year and want to get going on this business now, so I know I have the Sole Proprietor/DBA and the LLC as my best options, since I will have no employees. But I am confused over business names because the one thing I don`t want to deal with is someone else having the same name as me.
So once I have a name, is there a sure fire way to register it so I am protected and don`t have to change it down the road?
I know you can submit an application to your home state and also federal government for trade mark or service mark registration, but I don`t think that necessarily means the same name is available when you register for your business.
I need an easy explanation of what the best thing to do is.
If I do a DBA in Ocean County, NJ as WHITE NOISE INUDSTRIES (music consulting business), does this mean that someone can file a DBA in Middlesex County, NJ with the exact same name? Would it have to be a different industry or can that be sam, too? Can someone form an LLC in NJ or another State with the same exact business name (either a DBA and/or an LLC)?
Would having the Federal Service Mark registered prevent this or no? I thought I read that you don`t even have to file the trade mark/service mark in order to claim ownership of it, which just confused me even more.
I need help desperately because I just want to find a name, check its availability but not have to close business bank accounts/credit cards, websites, etc 6 months later.